Christmas Without You
by ilovenascar
Summary: A week before Christmas, everything goes wrong. Jibbs, Tony/Other. Many thanks to Julia for her help & encouragement.
1. Chapter 1

Fic Title: Christmas Without You

Author: I Love NASCAR

Fandom: NCIS

Pairing: Jibbs, Tony/Other

Date: December 8, 2007

Feedback: please

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: The only profit I receive from this story is the feedback you provide. All creative rights to the characters belong to DB, not me.

Summary: A week before Christmas, everything goes wrong.

* * *

Jethro Gibbs was coming back inside the building when he spotted the young blonde hurrying towards him. He told the others to go ahead without him and waited for her to catch up. "Thanks," Shelby Gibbs, Jethro's little sister and head counsel for NCIS, greeted him. "I was wondering if you'd be in." 

"For you? Always," he answered, only half-teasing. "What's up?" He could tell from the look in her eyes, the same color blue as his own, that something was going on.

"I talked to Jenny."

He groaned, needing to hear no more. "Of course you did. You would think that once in the last ten years, you would take my side."

"I will," she answered. "If you're ever right." She pushed the elevator button to stop between floors, her brother's version of a private office. "Just so happens that Jenny's usually the one who's right, so she's the one I side with."

The Jenny she referred to was, of course, Jennifer Shepherd, director of NCIS, his one time partner and girlfriend, a mutual best friend to them both. "She was quick. We just argued about it this morning."

She ignored his comment, continuing their conversation. "All she wants to do is have a Christmas party for the team. What's so wrong with that?" Besides her, the people her brother worked with were his only family. Jenny knew that and had attempted to give him a family Christmas, of sorts.

"I don't celebrate Christmas, Shelby. You know that. She knows that. But she goes on and does whatever the hell she wants to and then gets mad at me when I tell her no. Nothing new about that."

She chose her next words very carefully. "Do you think that Kelly would want you to give up Christmas?" She remembered the last holiday she'd celebrated with him, when his daughter and first wife were still alive, right before he went off to Desert Storm. "You know she wouldn't. You know it." One of her fondest memories of her niece were of the little girl having to be carried to bed after falling asleep waiting for Santa to come. "You have to stop this."

"Stop what? Missing my daughter?" The wound Shannon's passing had left had eventually healed over time, although there'd only been one other person he'd loved as he loved her. Kelly's death, however, was just as fresh as if it had been yesterday.

"I did not say that. You're never going to stop missing Kelly. But you push everyone out of your life that you could get close to, who you could love, and who only wants to help you." She finally said what she'd been wanting to since Jenny's return. "Jenny is not the only reason you two are not back together. Her being director doesn't help matters, but for God's sake, you were married the first time you two were together." She paused. "You won't let Jen near you because you're afraid you'll lose her. So you're going to pull away before she can. It's a hell of a way to live."

His pride wouldn't let him admit that she was right, so he covered up with anger. "Like you would know. The only reason you're butting into my love life is that you don't have one of your own, just transient boyfriends who are married either to another woman or to their work. No one you could get attached with, no one you could have a family with, no attachments of any kind…" He stopped in mid-sentence, realizing he'd gone too far, realizing who he was hurting. "Shelby…"

She stood there in shock, not knowing how to respond at first, feeling the pain as keenly as if he'd slapped her. "No." She paused, her words coming slowly. "I should start focusing on me, on my life, and stop worrying about what you're throwing away, how you're going to be all alone, because you pushed everyone who did give a damn away, and end up either like Daddy, dead within a year of retirement, or Franks, drunk all the time…" She reached over, pushing the button to make the elevator continue its journey, standing away from him, her arms crossed.

Gibbs wanted to admit that she was right, about some of it at least, and apologize for what he'd said, but he couldn't find the words. When the elevator stopped at their floor, she went upstairs to get Jenny for their half day off and he went to his desk, not speaking.

* * *

Jenny Shepherd was still tired at the end of her long day, but it was a good tired, a relaxed tired instead of stressed. She'd been glad when Shelby had moved to D.C., glad to have another female friend to do things with, like Christmas shopping. Even better still had been the chance to go off the radar for once, go without her bodyguard, not have to report in. "I got something for everyone except your brother." 

"Give him something to remove the big stick out of his butt," Sherry soused, making sure the honey she'd picked up wouldn't break all over everything else.

Jenny laughed. "Yeah, that's holiday talk." She paused. "I shouldn't have forced the issue. He's right. He's never celebrated Christmas. I just…I don't know what to do. I thought he was getting better and then the holidays…"

For the first time, Shelby began to wonder if maybe more was going on than originally met the eye. "Jen…" She paused. "Are you okay?"

The redhead started to respond before a cracking sound rang through the air, the world going black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**  
Gibbs walked into the hospital room, partially still angry and vowing revenge to whoever hurt his baby sister, whoever had Jenny, but partially realizing how lucky he was that Shelby had made it this far. The position of the gunshot, the amount of blood lost, the fact that it had taken far too long for the ambulance to get to them due to a bus accident nearby…everything had been against her. 

Shelby's blue eyes opened, looking around the room, trying to focus, and he forced a smile for her. "Hey." 

"Hey." Her voice was quiet and she seemed so tiny, so fragile. "You okay?"

He could help but smile. Only one other person could be hurt and still worry about him. "Yeah. I'm doing fine. Ducky's talking to your doctors, so you're going to be fine too. Get out of here real soon."

"Is Jenny okay?"

He paused, trying to find the words to tell her without upsetting her. He finally realized that there was no good way to say what he needed to. "We think the people that shot you took her." He could see her blue eyes welling up with tears. "It's okay. It's going to be okay. We'll find her." He paused for a moment. "Honey, I need to know...Do you remember anything about what happened?"

She shook her head. "I know we went shopping, because we've had it scheduled for two weeks, but...I don't remember going or getting there. The last thing I remember was fighting with you."

He nodded, the words having haunted him from the moment he'd gotten the call. "I'm sorry, honey. You know I didn't mean that, right?"

She nodded. "I know."

He watched her as she drifted back to sleep and then woke up again, startled, trying to fight it. "It's okay. It's the pain meds." He brushed some hair out of her face. "I'm going to leave Tony here with you, okay? He's going to make sure you have whatever you need." He didn't tell her the real reason he was leaving Tony there was that if the kidnappers thought she knew anything, knew that she'd lived, they might come back.

"Tony?" Her face lit up briefly.

"Yeah. Tony. Try to stay out of trouble, okay? And I'll bring Jenny to see you just as soon as she comes home." He tried to make his voice sound matter-of-fact, like there was no other outcome, much more assured than he actually felt.

"Okay." Her voice was quiet again and he felt a twinge of regret at leaving her, but was leaving her with the only agent he knew he could entrust her to.

Gibbs walked back outside, looking older than his years, and Tony Diznozzo approached him. "Boss?"

"I want you to stay with Shelby. Anything happens...call me." He wished he could be in two places at once, but knew he'd be more useful actually doing something than sitting and waiting.

Tony nodded. "First thing, boss." He knew Shelby being shot was killing a part of his friend, remembering his wife and daughter, knowing just how lucky Shelby had been.

"Thanks, Tony." He walked off as Tony looked into the room. Shelby was so pale and still that he barely recognized her and his heart broke.

He had met Shelby Gibbs years ago, on Spring Break, when he'd been an oversexed fraternity jock and she'd been a freshman from another school that didn't know his reputation. She'd been the first female he'd ever known with both beauty and brains; the fact that she was as opinionated and stubborn as her brother didn't hurt either. He didn't believe in soul mates, but, if he had, Shelby would have been a prime example of his. She'd been the only girl he ever liked that he didn't sleep with, a fact that he credited for their long friendship. When he was looking to get out of Baltimore, it had been her who'd introduced him to Gibbs, talked him into giving NCIS a try. She was still his best friend, even after sixteen years, and one of the few girls he'd ever really loved.

Gibbs met up with Ziva David and Tim McGee at the NCIS garage. "We got the contents of Shelby's car," McGee said. "There's not much here. Some packages, cds, sunglasses…"

"Anything useful, McGee?" He asked, not liking to look through his sister's things, but knowing if there was a possibility that it could tell him where Jenny was, he was going to look through them.

He shook his head. "But…" He started and then stopped.

"But what, Tim?" Gibbs gave McGee as much as attention as he could muster.

"Jenny's coat's here, along with her purse," Ziva answered for him.

He thought about what they were saying and realized how cold it had been during recent nights, how cold it was outside as they stood there, and Jenny didn't have her coat. For the first time, it made everything sink in, everything seem real. "Ziva, wake Cynthia up. Tell her to get here now. Ask her about anything and everything that might have happened in the past few weeks." He hadn't noticed that Jenny had been upset, but then again, he wasn't really paying that much attention either. "Tim, go up and do the same to Shelby's office. Check her computer, everything, and then go to her place, check there." It occurred to him, briefly, that he could be reading the situation all wrong, that they'd shot Shelby, trying to kill her, and taken the witness, not knowing who they had. Although it seemed improbable, he had to check from both angles, not able to afford wasting time.

"What can I do?" Abby Scuito asked from behind him, none of them having noticed her come in.

He turned and looked at her, grateful for the help. "Do your stuff on the car. I want to know fingerprints, hair samples…"

"I've got their fingerprints on file," she said, thinking of them having to get printed to work at NCIS. "But not DNA."

"I'll get you some." He promised.

She nodded. "Gibbs?" She hugged him and then let him go. "You're going to get her back." He nodded. "Is Shelby okay?"

"Yeah. Tony's babysitting." He hugged Abby back, his eyes catching Jenny's coat. "Let's get to work."


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs had ended up going to the homes with McGee, since he was the only one available who had a key to both. Jenny's housekeeper had the night off, so everything was still exactly as she had left it. Gibbs didn't even pretend not to know where everything was, but McGee did pretend not to notice that he did or wonder how. She kept all of her confidential stuff at work, under lock and key, so they were free to investigate whatever they felt they needed. As McGee was looking through the papers on her desk, feeling more than a little guilty, a picture caught Gibbs' eye and he went closer to examine it. The photo had been taken years ago, when they were still working in Paris, during the only Christmas he'd celebrated since his daughter's death. They'd had a day, that one day, off from whatever case they were working and Jenny had decorated the hotel room in the French Christmas style, apples, ribbons, bows, and a tiny Christmas tree that he still didn't know where she'd found. There'd been no overabundance of presents, but each had managed to get each other one thing. He could have sworn he'd seen her wearing that necklace recently, but it had to be his mind playing tricks on him because she'd left it behind the day she left him.

"Boss." McGee brought him back to the present. "Are you okay?"

Gibbs nodded. "Let me go get her toothbrush and hairbrush for Abby; then we can go to Shelby's."

* * *

Tony awoke with a start, seeing Shelby curled up in herself, obviously frightened. He moved to the bed, trying not to scare her more, and she clung to him in a way that she never had before.

"Bad dream?" He asked gently, his arms going around her, holding her.

"Yeah." They said nothing for a few minutes, Tony rocking her back and forth slowly, rubbing her back until she calmed down.

When he was finally sure she was okay, he moved where he could look at her and still hold her. "You wanna talk about it?"

She closed her blue eyes and then opened them again. "I think…I think I know what happened to Jenny."

He nodded, having been afraid of something like this, one of the reasons why he hadn't moved since he'd arrived, wanting to be there for her. "Okay."

"She bent down to try to help me and the guy grabbed her from behind, pulled her into the Suburban. It was an old one, one of those that really looked like a box, and it used to be black, but it was like it faded from the sun so it was more a dark gray." He nodded. "Windows were tinted…I'm sure it had a license plate, but…"

He nodded, making a mental note to tell Gibbs so he could look on the mall security camera, something he hadn't thought of until that moment and, given the circumstances, wasn't sure his boss had either. "It's okay. Can you tell me what he looked like? Do you remember?"

She closed her eyes, trying to relax, the seemingly small task a little easier with him there, and pictured what she'd seen. "He was tall." She thought about the man's height compared to Jenny's versus her brother's height against Jenny. "He was six feet tall."

Tony studied her. "Are you sure about the height?"

She nodded. "That's how tall Jethro is. It was the same difference in height."

Tony nodded. "Okay. What else do you see?" He asked, getting his pad of paper that he always carried with him, jotting down notes as they went.

"He was Caucasian, but tanned, like he'd laid in a tanning bed or something. He was very muscular, athletic looking. His hair was pitch black, like it was a toupee or very bad dye job. His eyes…" She suddenly opened her own up and Tony could see the fear in them.

"It's okay. We can stop here." He wasn't sure if it was enough to go on, but he knew he couldn't push her any further. "You did good, Shelby. Okay?"

"Yeah, but will it be enough?" She knew she was putting him into an impossible position. The odds that Jenny would be found at all decreased every minute, especially with no leads, and once the probability of death or serious injury was figured in, it seemed overwhelming. "You can lie, Tony."

He looked at her seriously, moving some hair out of her face, cupping his cheek. "Hey. I'm not lying to you. She'll be okay. She has to be, right?" Shelby nodded. "Then she'll be okay." He kissed the top of her head and allowed her to curl up in his arms again, lying so she could be comfortable as she fell back to sleep.

* * *

His sister's house was very different than Jenny's. While Jenny's was a brick townhouse in D.C., formal, very appropriate for her position as director, Shelby's was a four bedroom in Silver Spring with a pool and hot tub, very fun, very informal. If judging by the possessions of the two women, one would never guess the two were very alike in personalities.

He watched as McGee's eyes followed the pictures in the living room. There was one of her parents, their father and his last wife, another, different, one of him and Jenny, laughing at something he couldn't even recall, one of him and her when they were children, assorted ones of friends, only some of whom he actually knew, and the one that always brought mixed feelings to him, the one of him and Kelly during Kelly's last Christmas. While he had put all reminders of his daughter away, Shelby's were still out, claiming that to hide them away would be to forget about her, something neither of them ever wanted to do. He still remembered that Christmas; she'd wanted Polly Pocket and Strawberry Shortcake. She'd gotten everything on her list…except for a pony. He would have bought her that too if Shannon hadn't convinced him they couldn't have one on base. Instead, he'd bought her a toy one that she had seemed to love just as much.

"Uh, boss?" McGee asked, not sure if he should leave the room or not. They all knew about Gibbs losing a wife and daughter and, from the way he was looking at the picture of the little girl, he knew it had to be Gibbs' child.

Gibbs cleared his throat, unable to turn around, trying to steady his voice before talking. "Check her computer, McGee."

Christmas was always hard this time of year, but it had been his daughter's favorite holiday, bigger than even her birthday. In seven years, he'd never worked one Christmas, saving up his leave so that he could be with her. He knew Shelby was right. Kelly would have never wanted him to skip Christmas. He also knew that Jenny realized how hard that time of year was on him and that's why she was pushing so hard for a party, so that he wouldn't be alone. Only Christmas was fast approaching and, if he didn't hurry up, Jen would still be gone.

As McGee worked on the computer, Gibbs went to Shelby's bedroom, to get her toothbrush, hairbrush, and some things that he thought she might need at the hospital, not sure when they'd be able to release her. He reached for her nightstand to get her a book he thought she'd like and saw two things he never wanted to see, his sister's stash of birth control, something he didn't ever like to think about, and a picture of a much younger Shelby with an also much younger Tony DiNozzo. He'd known they had knew each other for awhile, met in college, but he'd never seen before how much their expressions towards each other looked like his and Jen's had in Paris.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Tony opened his eyes at the smell of fresh coffee, looking towards the door, surprised to see Ziva standing there, not his boss. "I thought maybe you could use some." She handed him the cup, looking as tired as he did, having been up all night.

"Thanks." He moved slightly, just enough so that he could sit up and take a sip.

"How is she?" Ziva asked, brushing aside a strand of her hair, sitting in the only available chair in the room.

"In a lot of pain when she's awake." The look on Tony's face looked pained as well, hating the fact that Shelby was hurting, almost enough where it seemed like he could actually feel her pain. "She had a nightmare. Got a pretty good description of the guy, knows what happened."

Ziva waited in anticipation, watching the way Tony was with Shelby. Like Gibbs and Jenny, she too knew the history behind the friendship, but the Tony she was seeing was different than any she'd ever known before. He'd been careful with Jeanne too, but not like this. Gibbs being hurt tore him up as well, but never this badly. She remembered her brief crush on her partner and somehow just knew that what she was seeing here, before her, was the real thing. "Tony."

He thought she was urging him on to the details of the dream so he began. "She must have gotten shot first, as a distraction maybe, because she said that Jenny bent down to try to help her and the guy grabbed her from behind, pulled her into the Suburban. I'm thinking early 90s make. She said she thought it used to be black but was now a dark gray, but I really don't know if I'd go with color as description because they could have used paint to cover the original color. The windows were tinted, unusual for that decade, on that type vehicle, but it may have been a custom job too. She couldn't remember the license plate number." He didn't fault her on that, knowing she'd been doing good to be alive, let alone remember what she had. "Did Gibbs check the mall security cameras? I didn't even think about it until Shelby and I were talking."

She shook her head. "I don't think he did. He went to Jenny's house, then to Shelby's, to help McGee and get some DNA for both girls. We had their fingerprints, but…"

Tony nodded, knowing what she meant. "There was something in the car? Hair?"

"Abby's going over it with a fine mouth comb." He didn't even attempt to correct her English. "If something is there, she'll find it."

"She said he was six feet tall." Ziva looked at Tony, surprised at the exact measurement. "She was going off his height next to Jenny as opposed to Gibbs." He handed her the notes he'd taken. "Caucasian, muscular, athletic looking, like he worked out. His hair was dark black, but she said it could have been a wig or bad dye job, definitely not his own. She started to tell me about his eyes, but she couldn't go that far…and I didn't push."

Ziva nodded. That was the fine art of interrogation that she still had to learn, when to push, when not to. In Israel, she'd been allowed free rein, but here in America, in NCIS at least, things were very different.

"She thinks Jenny's gonna die." He paused, taking a breath and then slowly letting it out. "I told her that she'd be okay. It's Jenny; she has to be." He paused. "But I don't know…"

Ziva tried to think about their lives without Jenny, but couldn't imagine it. She was the only one of the NCIS agents who knew how much Jenny had loved Gibbs, how she still wasn't over him. She wasn't sure that even Gibbs could live through someone killing his wife, his daughter, and now Jenny too. She knew that Jenny thought of Shelby as a little sister and, knowing the pain of losing siblings, she prayed it was something Shelby would never have to go through. Jenny was a part of all their lives, one of the closest friends Ziva had, and also one of the longest, going back seven years. "She'll live." She remembered a time in Paris when it seemed like Jenny would die, a time she knew no one else was aware of, but if her friend had made it through that, she could make it through this.

Tony nodded, thinking to himself. He had never really forgiven her for Jeanne, never really taken responsibility for his actions either, choosing to lay all of the burden on Jenny. He knew, going in, that it wouldn't last, that it couldn't last, but he hadn't listened to reason. It had been the first time he'd been open to a relationship like that and, he had wondered recently, if it hadn't been Jeanne but really the idea of love that he had been so attached to, that he wanted back. He realized, by saying things that he had thought callous at the time, that Jenny was trying to help him from what had been her own experiences.

He realized Ziva was saying something and turned his attention back to her. "Are you okay?"

"Me?" He couldn't figure out why anyone was asking that, let alone Ziva. Shelby and Jenny were the victims here, and Gibbs, to an extent. He'd never stopped to ask himself that question once since it had happened.

"You." Ziva looked pointedly at him and he knew he had to answer, but what was the answer?

"I'm angry." He paused. "No, strike that. I'm royally pissed off. It's two days before Christmas. Two days. Shelby should be at home, in her own bed, and so should Jenny. Gibbs shouldn't be going through this. And I'm scared." She was the only person he would admit it to and hadn't planned on telling her until it came out of his mouth.

"Scared of what?" Watching the way Tony was holding Shelby, she knew scared of what, but wanted him to tell her, just like Tony had tried to counsel her each time she went through something.

"What if the bastard decides he didn't do a good enough job with Shelby? What if he tries to kill her this time? What if he does kill her? You're my partner, Ziva." She nodded. "But Shelby's been my best friend for longer than I wanna admit. There's something…I don't want to lose her." He paused, coming to a conclusion, that again he had no intention of saying until it was out of his mouth. "Because I love her."

A few months before, those words directed at another woman would have caused Ziva severe pain, but she nodded, her eyes looking into Tony's. "Because you love her." She'd always suspected it, but the past hours had only gone to prove her point.

Tony nodded, repeating the words again, not knowing that Shelby was awake. "Because I love her."

* * *

Gibbs was sitting in the MTAC, using the large, private screen to view the mall security cameras, when Ducky found him, also bringing the welcomed gift of a cup of coffee, made exactly as Gibbs preferred. He thanked his friend, watching the older Scotsman sit down beside him. "Mall security provided these."

Ducky nodded. "And you're looking for any sign of Shelby or the director's assailant."

"Jenny." For once in three years, Gibbs finally corrected him.

"What?" Ducky asked, turning his attention off the screen and back to his friend.

"It's Jenny. For God's sake, Ducky, you worked with us for how many years in Europe? Why can't you ever call her Jenny?" His tone was sharp, angrier at the situation and new developments than he was his friend.

"Jenny was the girl who commandeered the boat and rescued us," Ducky stated, matter-of-factly. "The girl you were in love with in Paris, the one who walked out on you. She is now the director of NCIS, more dangerous to develop feelings for than the old one."

"If this is your 'danger, stay away' message, I've heard it all before, Duck. Put the old records away." He paused. "She's still the same girl. She made the choice that was right for her, just like I did when I retired and went to Mexico, then later when I came back."

"She left for her career. Put it ahead of you once and, if it comes down to it, she will again, Jethro. Then what will you do? Can you go through that again?"

"Ducky…" Part of him knew his friend was right, but he was so tired of caring. "Let's just find Jenny and I'll worry about the rest of it then." He knew his friend was worrying unnecessarily. He and Jenny had had the conversation and there seemed to be nothing else for them but to stay the way they were, even if it was killing them both, little by little.

"And what will you do if you don't find her? If she's…"

Gibbs looked at him, obviously angry. "Don't finish that sentence, Duck." His mind went back to that picture of them in Paris and he knew that there were no alternatives. He had to find Jenny, had to find her alive, or he would be lost, for good this time.

" Shelby." Ducky tried to find middle ground. "How is Shelby?"

"I feel torn…I want to be here, I want to be looking for the person who shot her, who has Jenny, but I also want to be with my sister, taking care of her." He paused. "She had that picture of Kelly up in the living room." Ducky looked puzzled. "She took one of Kelly and me during…that last Christmas." He paused, pained. "Kelly used to love Christmas. I guess that's why…"

"Haven't you had a Christmas in the last seventeen years?" Ducky asked, curious, trying to remember.

"One. Jenny and I, in Paris." He paused, remembering the last time he'd talked to his other best friend. "We were fighting, Ducky. She wanted to give me a Christmas, try to help me not be alone, and I fought with her about it. The last words I said to her…" He'd been a fool, always assuming he'd see her one more time. He knew better, knew that the last time he talked to one of 'his girls' could really be the last time, but he'd let his guard down, screwed up. He'd had the good fortune to be able to apologize to Shelby, but what if he never got that chance with Jen?

Ducky realized that his friend was in pain and tried to change the subject back again. "You said you went to the house?"

Gibbs nodded, describing the picture he'd seen to Ducky. "I've known the story of how they met." Ducky nodded, having heard it before as well. "But the way they looked at each other."

"If they did have feelings for each other…would that be such a bad thing?" Gibbs made a face. "The boy's grown up, Jethro. Grown up a lot in the past year and a half." Since the coma that had almost claimed Gibbs' life, Tony hadn't been the same. None of them really had. "He's not the same irresponsible…" Ducky trailed off.

Gibbs thought about it and realized that Ducky was right. Since he'd come back from Mexico, it was almost as if Tony were a completely different person, still with his good traits, but some of his bad ones, like running around with any and every woman that crossed his path, had gone by the wayside. If Tony did love his sister, didn't she deserve to be happy? "I'll have to talk to Jenny about it." Jenny was always so much better at telling him what to do about personal issues. He tended to be overprotective, mainly because he didn't have much family left.

Both men turned back to the screen ahead of them, just in time for the show. The Suburban was blocking one screen, so Ducky observed everything about the vehicle that he could, including the license plate, and Gibbs turned his attention to the girls, smiling as he saw them, healthy, safe, relaxed, such a change from the current situation. He saw the girls talking and then, out of nowhere, Shelby fall, so obviously in pain. He watched as Jenny bent to help her, trying to comfort her, stop the bleeding, and then as she struggled against her attacker. He paused the tape, rewinding it, and then going forward again, pausing it once more. "Son of a bitch."

"Jethro?" Ducky asked, turning his attention back quickly to his friend.

"Son of a bitch!" Gibbs exclaimed, getting up, grabbing his coat. "I know who's got Jen."


	5. Chapter 5

I apologize for how short this update is. Personal life has intervened. Hopefully, will have another update soon.

**Chapter 5**

The first thing Jenny knew when she woke was the incredible pain, almost like she'd been in a very bad car wreck. The second was, of course, the cold. She thought, at first, the heater had broken and she shivered at the thought, reaching beside her to grab more covers, only hitting something hard, unmovable, instead. She opened her eyes and began to scream for, instead of her bed, she was in some sort of small coffin-like box.

Suddenly it all started to come back to her. Her fight with Gibbs over Christmas, going to the mall with Shelby for Christmas shopping, the only time she'd had to go all year. Questions immediately surfaced in her mind. Where was she? Where was Shelby and was she hurt? Had Gibbs started looking for her yet? She moved her arm up to check her watch, the little illuminated dial being the only light she had. Yes, surely Gibbs was almost there. Why had she been taken in the first place? Last time, the answer had been obvious, but last time, she wasn't in a coffin, she was with her kidnapper. She could talk to him, try to convince him to give himself up, but, in the end, the only thing that had worked was Gibbs' sniper skills. He wasn't here to protect her this time, wasn't here to save her.

_Isn't that what you wanted?_ A small voice inside of her asked. _You wanted to be on your own, wanted to prove yourself…well, here you are._

The other half of her, the half that was director, said, _Yes, here you are. Director of NCIS._ _Do you think Gibbs would have allowed that of his wife? Do you think you'd even still be together? How many wives has he had, last count? Four?_

She tried to silence the voices, the inward battle that had been building for more than a year, had been building, in fact, since the very day she'd left. She moved her hand up to her neck, finding that her necklace had been ripped off, explaining the pain from her neck at least.

_Okay, Jen. Get it together. _She closed her eyes, trying to relax her muscles, go to a happy place, but no matter which one she tried, she still knew she was in a coffin, running out of air, and she still knew that, if Gibbs didn't come, she was going to die.

* * *

Nathan Short lay back on the bed in the hotel room he'd rented, watching on his laptop through the camera he'd installed as she realized where she was, that she was going to run out of air, that she was going to die. That in itself was an aphrodisiac; he got off on watching 'wonder women' become weak and helpless damsels in distress. How many had he brought to the breaking point and brought back to life? He moaned to himself, smiling. He'd picked the best of both worlds. Not only could he get off on the power he had over Jennifer Shepherd, now director of NCIS, always an uptight bitch, but Gibbs would never find her in time and, when she died, he would always have the painful knowledge that if he'd been a little faster, a little better, that he could have saved her. It was the ultimate revenge and the ultimate power trip rolled into one. 

He let his mind go back to the last one, an French model, a real high-maintenance ball-breaker. He'd known she was trouble from the moment they met and she'd proved him right. He had a system and the bitch had broken it by going and dying on him. Then of course, the then power couple of NCIS, supposedly his friends, had found out his game and turned him in. He'd spent eight years in jail and he'd known the model hadn't been worth it, that the next time, the next girl, she'd be worth it. He looked back at the computer screen, wondering if there was a way to hack into NCIS and share his moment of triumph with Gibbs, have him actually watch his girlfriend's last moments. This time, it was definitely worth it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Tony watched the scene unfolding in the hospital room as if in a trance, trying to hide the tears, feeling helpless, like a child, the feeling he hated most. He remembered waking up to feel water all over him, Shelby having dropped the pitcher by her bed, hearing her cry as she finally confessed that she hadn't been able to hold it. That was the last thing he really remembered, the doctors, the nurses, were all a blur. He turned, looking for the nearest pay phone, knowing what he had to do.

Timothy McGee answered the phone at NCIS. "Gibbs' desk, Agent McGee..."

"Probie, get me Gibbs. Now." Tony barked.

"He's not here. He and Ducky left about twenty minutes ago. His cell phone should be on."

"It's not." Tony frowned, not liking it, knowing something was going on. Gibbs wouldn't make himself unreachable for no reason, especially not with the girls in such precarious positions. "Did he say where they were going?"

"He had me look up an address and then told Ziva and myself to stay here, stay put." He paused. "Tony, what's wrong?"

"Is Ziva still there?" Failing at reaching Gibbs or Jenny, he knew Ziva could help.

"Yeah. She's right here." He handed the phone over to Tony's partner who immediately started talking.

"Ziva." He paused. " Shelby..." He thought back to that room. "I need a favor."

"Anything," Ziva said, meaning it, even if it were to defy one of Gibbs' direct orders.

"Get the address from Probie and come pick me up." He wasn't even sure if they could get there in time, but he wanted to try, not to stop Gibbs, but to help him.

They made the arrangements and he hung up, returning to Shelby's room, kissing her forehead, noticing how tired she seemed. "Feel better?"

"The bullet hit something..." She was having trouble keeping her blue eyes open. "They think therapy will help."

"That's great, baby." He stroked her cheek, trying to keep the tears back, this Shelby unlike any he'd ever seen before, scaring him more than he would admit.

"Tony?" She paused. "Is he okay?"

He smiled. "Yeah. He's just worried about Jenny, but they'll both be okay."

She shook her head. "He does so many stupid things when he's worried about people. Takes too many risks."

He had wondered how he could tell her, not wanting her to wake up and him not be there, but this was the perfect time. "I'm going with Ziva to check on him. I'll be here when you wake up. I promise." She nodded and he watched over her until she fell asleep.

Ziva put her hand on Tony's shoulder when he didn't hear her enter the room. He wiped his tears and she pretended not to see. "She's having a little trouble holding things."

"Are you sure you want to go?" Ziva asked. "I'll go for you."

He nodded. "I know you would, but...I have to be the one. And I told her I'd take care of Gibbs." He made sure Shelby was warm enough and then left the room.

* * *

"Jethro," Ducky said, reaching out to grab the dashboard in front of him as Gibbs made a sharp right turn, regretting the decision to let his friend drive. "Slow down or we'll never get there."

Then, and only then, did Gibbs slow down to his usual breakneck speed, still gripping the steering wheel tightly, still not speaking since leaving headquarters.

"Who was the man on the security camera?" Ducky asked, trying to bring his friend out of himself, worried about Gibbs' mental health if Jenny didn't come out of this.

"Nathan Short," Gibbs answered after a long pause. "He was an NCIS agent when Jen first partnered with me."

He recounted the story to his friend, how long Short had everyone fooled until one of his victims had finally made contact with Jen, made her believe the story enough to investigate further. They had investigated the story exactly as she had investigated La Grenuoille, put both of them in danger, but it hadn't bothered him back then like it did in recent years. When Short was handed over to the authorities, it had finally been all over, or so he'd thought, even when he heard through the grapevine that Short had been released.

"I never thought this would happen. I should have cancelled the shopping trip. Made Jenny take Steve with her." He knew and understood how hard it was for her to be surrounded all the time, either with NCIS agents or her bodyguard, some form of protection, but he knew it was for her own good. She was too vulnerable otherwise and he lived in fear of something like this happening, someone taking her away from him.

"It's not your fault, Jethro. Both girls have always done exactly what they wanted to do, the...Jenny especially."

He nodded, thinking of his headstrong redheaded partner, still one of the two loves of his life. "Tell me she'll be okay, Duck. Even if you don't mean it."

"She'll be okay."

* * *

Gibbs and Ducky arrived at the old, rundown, almost abandoned hotel first, Gibbs turning to look at his long-time friend. "I'll yell when I find Jenny."

"Jethro..." He knew anything he said would fall upon deaf ears. He knew that going with his friend would only be a hinderance. "Be careful."

"See if you can get DiNozzo at the hospital, get an update on Shelby for me, please." Without even closing his eyes, he could see Shelby in the hospital bed, so pale, so still. If Short could hurt his sister, what would he do to Jenny?

Going inside the office area, Gibbs barely missed the arrival of Ziva and Tony. "Ducky?" Ziva asked.

"Inside, my dear. He wanted me to stay here until he found the director." He didn't bother to ask questions, somehow having known that the two would show up, as they seemed to always do.

"Ziva..." Tony turned to look at his partner, about to tell her to stay.

"Bite me," she said, using part of her new English language, causing him to get dangerously close to a smile, no longer bothering to argue with her, knowing she, of all people, could take care of herself, probably as well or better than he and Gibbs could.

They split up, each going a seperate direction, knowing Ducky would make some sort of noise, not even really knowing what they were looking for, aside from Shelby's description.

It was Ziva who came across Short's room first. He knew, from his surveillence of Gibbs and Jenny, who Ziva was and he smiled, thinking he had the best fortune of them all. "Scream."

Ziva thought quickly. There was no time to get her gun or her knife, but screaming would bring both Gibbs and Tony into a trap they weren't prepared for. She had no intention of screaming, even after she received a sharp slap across the cheek, Short holding a hand behind her so she couldn't fight back, a knife dangerously close to her throat, Gibbs running when he heard the noise, truly surprised when he saw Ziva, and then furious, not at Ziva, whose instincts had told her to try to help, nor at himself, who'd specifically told her to stay at the office, but at Short, putting yet another woman he cared about in danger.

"Drop the knife," Gibbs snarled, judging the difference in height between Ziva and Short, wondering if he could still make a shot like that. He had the last time Jenny had been kidnapped, but that was before the coma and Jenny had trusted him with her life, as she always had. If Ziva moved one way or another when he wasn't expecting it, he ran the danger of hitting her instead, killing her.

"Shoot him," Ziva said, not ordering, not scared, just in a matter-of-fact voice that said she trusted him, which she did, as much or more than she did Jenny or Tony. She knew that, although every instinct in her was telling her to fight, to struggle, that she had to let Gibbs take care of it, if only this one time.

Tony was able to see the situation, Short's knife at his partner's throat, knowing Ziva well enough to know exactly what she would want to do in that moment, but also seeing what Short was doing. In a manner of a little over two days, he had stolen Jenny, almost murdered Shelby, and was now trying to hurt Ziva. It had to stop somewhere.

Tony snuck into the adjoining hotel room, making a noise that sounded like the walls were about to cave in, causing enough racket that Short turned quickly and Gibbs was able to make the shot without fear of hurting Ziva. Gibbs approached his nemesis, his gun still pointed, as Ziva moved out of the way. It took all Gibbs had inside of him not to fire the gun again, but when they flipped Short over, it seemed that one bullet was all it had taken.

"Damn!" Gibbs uttered, not especially sorry that Short was dead, but sorry that he hadn't obtained the information on where Jenny was located before he died.

Tony let himself in, wanting to hug his partner, but knowing how it would be received, especially in front of anyone else. His eyes went to the laptop, still showing an image of Jenny, only not the Jenny any of them recognized. Her mouth was moving, her eyes were closed, and it was obvious she was in severe distress. He was torn, knowing Gibbs needed to see it, but not wanting his boss to be hurt and knowing it would kill him. "Boss," he finally, gently, said, catching Gibbs' and Ziva's attention, bringing their eyes to the laptop screen in silence.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

Not for the first time, Gibbs was grateful for both McGee and Abby, who'd been called back in and was only too happy to help. If not for them, he would have had no idea how to trace the signal, giving him Jenny's location. Still, when he reached the empty field, it was more than obvious that there was no building in which Jenny could be held. He turned back to look at DiNozzo, not sure he should have put his faith in technology, but his famous gut that never failed him told him that Jenny was somewhere close.

"We have to follow the signal, boss," Tony spoke as Ziva began looking for something in the back of the truck.

Gibbs nodded, following a completely different navigation instrument than Tony, but both ending up in the same location. "Here," Gibbs said, kneeling down to touch the frozen ground. "She's here." He paused. "The bastard buried her," he whispered, almost unheard.

With the shovel that Ziva had located as well as makeshift tools and their hands, the three NCIS agents began to dig as fast as they could while Ducky radioed for an ambulance, knowing he could attempt to help her until they arrived, but also knowing, if she was buried, she was running out of air, out of time. After he finished the call, he too began to dig, but it seemed like it took forever until they finally saw a pine box, the kind that used to be used for a coffin.

Gibbs' hands became beaten and dirty as he dug at the lid until finally it opened. Jenny was lying there, so still, so quiet, her eyes closed as if she were asleep. Her hair looked even redder than normal, mainly because she herself was so pale. Pale enough that, in fact, Ducky and Tony both thought she was dead. Her skin was cold to the touch and Ziva ran to get blankets, spreading one on the ground so that Gibbs could lay Jenny down, check her pulse, and listen for signs of breathing. He rubbed her arms, trying to warm her, not ready to give up on her, not yet.

"C'mon, Jen." He whispered, tucking the other blankets around her carefully, still struggling to maintain what body heat she did have. Ducky looked on, certain that his friend had finally lost it, that Jenny was dead. Gibbs began to perform CPR, listening for signs that she was breathing. "C'mon, don't do this," he whispered, no longer aware that any of the others were around, his total focus on Jenny. He tried again, nothing. "C'mon, baby. Please. Please." He tried again until he could feel her breathing again, very faintly, but it was there.

* * *

Gibbs paced in the hospital waiting area, still furious that the doctors wouldn't let him go with Jenny. He knew he'd be of no use, but the thought of being helpless when she needed him killed a part of him. Ducky sat nearby, on one side of Abby, McGee on the other. No words were being said, but then again, none were needed. Although she'd caused friction when she'd first arrived, each friend had their own reason for being there. Tony hadn't said a word since they'd arrived at the hospital, torn between knowing Shelby would want to be with Jenny and her brother and worrying that it would be too much stress for her.

Not long after they arrived, Ziva slipped off unnoticed, walking back to the hospital room where she seemed to spend a lot of time. Although she and Shelby had never been what anyone considered close, she respected the love the other woman had for what were obviously the three most important people in her life, her family.

Shelby was sitting up, using her non-injured hand to brush her hair, and Ziva smiled at her determination. "You feel better."

"A little." She admitted. "A lot of it's pain meds though. I feel like they've shot me up with enough to dull anything." She paused. "Is everything okay?"

Ziva nodded, coming inside the doorway, but not getting much closer. "We found Jenny."

Shelby closed her blue eyes, moving her lips, before opening them. "How is she?"

"The doctors are with her. She was buried...underground." She paused, hoping that she was right to come get Shelby.

The blonde turned a pale shade of white. "Jethro?"

"He was the only one who didn't give up on her," Ziva said haltingly, trying to find the right words to describe the situation.

"He always was," Shelby said quietly, almost unheard. Her voice raised an octive as she looked at Ziva. "Can you help me?"

Ziva knew Tony would kill her, but nodded. Within ten minutes, Shelby was in a wheelchair, a blanket around her, keeping her warm, as Ziva pushed her to the waiting area.

Gibbs' eyes went directly to his sister and he stopped pacing, standing there in the middle of the floor. Tony's eyes had been on his boss, but quickly followed his stare to Shelby and Ziva, his emotions switching between anger that Ziva had told her without asking and relief that someone was there to help Gibbs.

"Bubba." Shelby used the childhood nickname for him and he sat, leaving her room to sit beside him. She took his hands with her own, looking at how beaten and dirty they were. "How's Jenny?"  
"She was always so cold, got cold so easily." He flashed back on giving her the coat for their anniversary that year, two years together, how he'd thought they'd be together forever. "And the bastard buried her. He shot you and he took Jenny...It's my fault."

She realized arguing with him would only lead them in circles. "Tell me about Jenny."

"He buried her in a pine box. She didn't have her coat, a blanket, anything. She was so still and quiet...she's never quiet. The woman won't shut up." He had never really wanted her too though. The only times he ever remembered Jenny being quiet was when something was seriously wrong.

"You love it." She knew that half of their 'fights' were really more bantering than anything else.

He nodded. "Her eyes were closed...she was so pale...she wasn't breathing..."

It was at that moment that she realized the only thing she could do was to sit with him, be there for him, like the rest of his family, his people. As Gibbs looked as his baby sister, he realized that the last time he was faced with a loss like this, he had lost both his wife and his daughter. Although he was reasonably sure he wouldn't lose Shelby, he still couldn't help but be frightened of losing Jen.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Gibbs stood in the doorway of Jenny's room for what seemed like forever, not liking any of what he saw, the fact that she didn't look much better than the last time he saw her, the machines, or how much pain she seemed to be in. He sat in the chair beside her bed, stroking his hand through the red hair he loved so much, finally growing long, the way it'd been when they were together, massaging her shoulders and arms, trying to help her relax. He couldn't ignore the heart monitor or the oxygen tube and once again wished that certain people could die more than once. Short's death seemed so little compared to his crimes, both in Europe and with the girls in his life. He could never stand for anyone he loved to be in pain and now he couldn't prevent it. She coughed and he winced, seeing her shake from a chill, unable to even sit up, her eyes closed, and, even though he was right beside her, he wasn't convinced she knew she was safe. He wasn't convinced himself that it was over, that he wouldn't lose her. The doctor had mentioned things like pneumonia, hypothermia, and he worried that this time she didn't have enough strength left to fight.

"Mr. Gibbs?" He turned slightly as a nurse caught his attention. "Doctor Mallard's talked to Ms. Shepherd's doctor. You can stay in here with her for as long as you want and we're to explain everything to you before we do it."

Gibbs felt grateful to have a friend like Ducky, who understood his love for Jenny and, although he might not approve, Gibbs still felt the support. He hated hospitals, wouldn't be in one himself unless he had to, but could remember countless times he had to and even a time before when Jenny had.

"I'm going to give her medication to help with the pain," The nurse said, inserting a syringe.

As he heard Jen moan, he held her hand, closed his eyes, and did the only thing he could think of, he prayed.

* * *

Jenny found herself in a place where there was no pain, somewhere peaceful, just her, her and Gibbs. She looked around, instinctively knowing that they were on a lake on a boat. He looked over at her, a patented Gibbs smile, and put his arms around her, comfortable, sweet, like they belonged together and they'd be together forever. It was as if time stood still for them, just once, and she knew that everything else was secondary to this moment, this feeling, of being together with the only man she'd ever really loved.

* * *

Tony made sure that the others got home all right to rest, having lost count of the number of hours everyone had been awake at that point, before returning to Shelby's room. He could tell from the look in her eyes, not that different from the look in her brother's, that she was truly and completely pissed off. " Shelby..."

"I'm not a child."

"I know that." A child was the last thing he thought of her as. "I know that. But I'm responsible to take care of you."

"I'm a big girl. I take care of myself."

"Just like Jenny," Tony let slip and then regretted it. " Shelby, I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "You're right." She left him just enough time to absorb the rarity of those words before moving on. "To a point. Maybe if Jen and I were helpless females, then I wouldn't have been shot. Jenny wouldn't be..." She closed her eyes, biting her lower lip, something he only saw her do in extreme stress, and then opened her eyes again. "But that's not her. And guess what, Tony. It's not me either. You should know that by now."

"I do, Shelby." He sat on her bed, facing her. "I do know that. And I'm sorry for what I said." He knew he shouldn't have fought with her or with Ziva after Gibbs went with the doctor to see Jenny, but he couldn't help it. "I don't think you're a child. That's not why I want to protect you."

Her blue eyes searched his face inquisitively and then, already knowing the answer, she asked, "Then tell me why."

"I'm a chaveunistic skirt-chaser who's only had two serious relationships in my entire adult life. One died. And one left me because I broke her heart. You're the longest relationship, male or female, that I have...my best friend. I don't want to screw this up." He kept his head down, unable to look at her.

"Then don't." He finally looked up at her. "My brother and I were fighting before this whole mess happened." She paused. "Does it ever occur to you that we both have the same relationships with other people? Transient 'friends', no one to get attached with, to have a life with..."

"You better have a point," he said with the slightest of smiles.

"I'm going to need someone to stay with me, help me, until I get better...Why don't we use it as a trial period?"

He looked at her. "You don't think you-know-who's going to have a problem with that?"

Shelby shrugged as well as she could. "That's his problem. Well, and Jenny's." She smiled. "I have a feeling he'll be pretty distracted."

Tony laughed, beside himself, only having one more hesitation. "And if it doesn't work?"

"We'll decide what's best for us then. Either way, you won't lose me, Tony." She stroked his cheek with her hand.

"How do you know that?" He asked, wanting to believe her with all his heart.

"Because I have faith. In you, in me, in us." He kissed her gently, settling down beside her.

* * *

Gibbs woke quickly, his eyes taking in the room until he remembered where he was, why he was there. As much as he hated hospitals, hated being sick or hurt, he would give anything he had left to take Jenny's place. He looked at the monitors, not able to understand much, but luckily there was someone who could help.

Ducky had been sitting in the chair Gibbs had vacated for the extra bed only a few hours before, watching over both of his friends. "She took a turn for the better last night, Jethro. She's fighting hard, doing well." He then said the news Gibbs had been waiting days for, "She's going to make it."

Gibbs felt himself wanting to cry with relief, but held back, watching the redhead, grateful when Ducky changed places with him, the doctor sitting on the bed so that Gibbs could be back by Jenny's side. "Are you kidding? Of course she is." He made it sound like there had never been any doubt at all. "I've been thinking, Ducky...This cold weather...it's not going to be good for her. She needs to go some place else so she can get her strength back."

Ducky nodded. "It might be good for you both." Gibbs hadn't left Washington since his 'retirement' the year before.

He nodded. "How's Shelby?"

"She's good. DiNozzo's keeping an eye on her...she went home this morning, about an hour ago. He wanted to wake you to tell you, but she wouldn't let him."

Gibbs took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "When's the last time you went home?"

"Before the girls were taken." Ducky looked at his friend, knowing where he was going. "She'll be okay. The doctors are going to keep you informed. If anything happens, they'll call me and I'll be right back in..."

"I'll be fine, Ducky. We'll both be fine."

Ducky nodded, hesitating, finally deciding he'd talk to the doctor one more time and come back to check before he actually left. He left the room, Gibbs holding Jenny's hand, picking it up to his lips and kissing it gently, feeling how the warmth had returned.

"You're doing good, Jen. Keep fighting." He smiled, flashing back to one of their many 'fights'. She was one of the few people who never gave in when she knew she was right, even with him, stubborn, tenacious, but it was one of the things that made her such a good agent...and such a good director. She fought like that for their people, and for him, probably more often than even he knew. He could see her in the hallways of NCIS, fighting with him, and remembered the exquisite feeling of being pissed off at her and wanting to kiss her all at the same time.

He continued, massaging her skin, thinking that it might help the blood flow, watching her heartbeat increase on the monitor. "What do you think about a vacation, Jen? We could leave DiNozzo in charge for a week...he's ready. We could go anywhere you want. Paris, Mexico, anywhere...Just you and me."

Jenny had been awake for awhile, almost as long as he had, but hadn't opened her eyes yet, the lids still feeling heavy as she struggled against the sleep that still wanted to engulf her. Jethro needed her, just as much as she needed him, she could hear that in his voice. His hands on her skin felt so good, both invigorating and relaxing at the same time, reassuring her that she would be all right. She heard Ducky leave and then Gibbs' words to her.

"That'll be the day," she finally responded, quiet, waiting a good minute before she opened her eyes to see his astonished smile.

"Jen?" Without even thinking, he called her name, continuing. "Baby?"

" Mexico…sounds nice... Paris..." It was hard to talk with the oxygen in her nose, but she was having trouble breathing even with the tube. She started coughing, hard, and he winced, seeing the pain it caused her.

Gibbs pressed the call button quickly, knowing he should get help but refusing to leave her side, afraid that if he did, she would no longer be awake, that it'd be some kind of dream or cruel joke. "Whichever you want, Jen. Just some place where you can get well." She still looked pale, weak, and tired, but she was alive and her eyes had completely captured his heart.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Gibbs and Jenny were coming back from a chest x-ray to determine why she was still having so much trouble breathing when they heard voices coming from her supposedly empty hospital room. "Where'd you find the tree?" Tony asked.

"It's the one from the office. Cynthia brought it before she left," Shelby answered. 

"Apples and ribbons? An American tradition?" Ziva's voice sounded quizzical, puzzled.

"French," Ducky explained with one word, trying to figure out how to hang the mistletoe Shelby had brought without making a hole anywhere.

"I cannot believe you brought the Chipmunks album," McGee said disdainfully, obviously to Tony.

"Home Alone?" Tony held up the DVD.

"It's a good movie," McGee defended his choice, having brought the DVD when Shelby requested everyone bring their favorite Christmas movie and music.

"Yeah, I liked it too...When I was five," Tony quipped.

"You're not still?" Ziva teased her partner, watching him take over for Shelby when she couldn't get the lights the way she wanted with just one hand.

Jenny sat in the wheelchair in the hallway, Gibbs' hands on her shoulders, watching their friends for a good five minutes. She'd hated the idea of having to spend Christmas in the hospital, but when she saw the room, the care her friends had taken with the arrangements, she felt like crying. Gibbs leaned down, kissing into her red hair, the move unnoticed by the decorators, and then pushed the chair into the room. There was a small Christmas tree, not a real one, but beautiful none the less, decorated with apples and ribbons. There was the mistletoe tied with ribbon, hanging off the IV pole. There were holiday lights, some clear, some blue, draped on a small card table full of snack foods and sandwiches cut in half.

Tony, acting as spokesman for the group, turned towards the couple, giving credit where credit was due. " Shelby thought that since you had to spend Christmas here, we might as well make it an actual celebration...NCIS style. We knew you couldn't do much, but everyone brought a movie, some music, some food, and a present."

"A present?" Jenny smiled, Gibbs helping her to get in bed, noticing that she was beginning to breathe hard again, wanting her to rest.

Shelby spoke up, Tony back beside her again, his arm around her waist. "I brought the presents we bought that night..." She paused, Tony squeezing her gently for support. "And instead of drawing names this year, everyone decided to get something for you instead."

Jenny sat there in silence, not knowing what to say, tears brimming her eyes as she tried not to shed them. Gibbs sat beside her, supporting her, his arms around her gently, not wanting to hide any longer, not from their people. Jenny always told him that their team were their family, but he'd never seen it, not until that moment.

"Thank you," Jenny finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.

McGee popped 'It's A Wonderful Life' in the laptop after taking out the CD, Abby and Ziva beginning to pass out the food, Tony moving the presents to where Jenny could reach them as Shelby handed her brother a cup of coffee and a sandwich.

Jenny's attention turned towards Gibbs. "Eat, honey," she whispered just barely loud enough that Gibbs, Shelby, and Tony could hear, worried about Gibbs, knowing he hadn't left the room since she was admitted.

"She's right. You need to eat, boss," Tony surprised all that were listening, including himself, by speaking aloud, but earned a smile from Shelby.

Most of the gifts were normal, like books to read or a blanket to keep her warm, but two stood out. One was a pair of pajamas from Shelby, a nice change from the hospital gowns she'd been wearing, and the other was a very familiar necklace.

"I found it in the parking lot," Ziva spoke quietly, knowing what the necklace meant to her friend, that it was a gift from Gibbs when they'd been together, and that she rarely, if ever, took it off. "I thought you might want it back."

Abby, McGee, and Tony didn't quite understand what it was that made the tears finally start falling, but it wasn't missed on any of them when Gibbs kissed into her red hair, smiling gently at her. She wiped the tears away, rather embarassed, but trying not to show it. "Thank you, Ziva."

Shelby handed out the presents that she and Jenny had bought, a little reluctant to give Tony his, having not planned on him opening it in front of anyone else. When he opened the present and saw the jar of honey, he couldn't hide an amused smile, obviously appreciating what the gift symbolized, the honey dust that had once been so popular with him that he hadn't used in several years, not even with Jeanne. "I love it." He gave her a mischevious look. "Get plenty of use out of it."

Ducky turned his attention to Gibbs and Jen, noticing how pale she still looked, how quickly she became tired, and how she still was having trouble breathing. None of those facts were lost on Gibbs either, him being gentle, tender, even nurturing, with her, taking care of her. Both were glad when the room quieted down a little, but by the time the movie had ended, the party was over.

Abby hugged Gibbs first and then, studying Jenny, almost afraid she would cause some sort of damage, gingerly hugged her as well. "I'm glad you're okay," Abby said, barely above a whisper.

"Thank you," Jenny said, a slight hint of a smile crossing her lips, watching as McGee walked the lab tech out.

Ziva frowned, having been watching her friend as well. She held Jenny's hand and talked to her in a foreign language that Ducky knew to be Israeli. Gibbs could only watch Jenny nod and say 'todo', which he'd picked over the years to mean thank you, before Ziva left as well.

The three remaining friends hung around for a little while, cleaning up, until Jenny had fallen to sleep. Shelby looked at her brother, her blue eyes searching his own. "What's the doctor say?"

"Not much of anything I didn't already know. She's having trouble breathing and it's caused by the pneumonia and hypothermia hitting her at the same time. She's off the oxygen more today, which is good, but...I hate to say she's not getting better, because she is awake, she is able to leave the room, she's weaning off the oxygen..."

"It'll take some time, Jethro," Ducky said, his voice quiet and gentle, watching as his friend ran his fingers through Jenny's hair, calming her as she slept. "She just needs some time."

Gibbs nodded. "She wants to go home. I don't know what to tell her." He paused. "The party helped though...and having some real clothes." He looked at his sister and Tony, noticing something there, but deciding to focus on Jen for the time being. "Thank you. And thank the others."

Tony nodded, sensing they should go. "Sure thing, boss."

Shelby nodded. "We will." She kissed her brother's temple. "I'll have my cell phone on. You'll call me if you need anything." He nodded. "Otherwise, I'll be back tomorrow morning." She still felt a little weird about leaving them, but knew they needed this time together, alone, just like she needed to be with Tony.

Gibbs nodded, watching them leave before turning his attention back to Jenny, watching her sleep, thankful that she didn't seem to be having any bad dreams or much pain, thankful that she was there, safe, and even thankful for their makeshift Christmas, because they'd been together, with the people that meant the most to them...and each other.


End file.
